Family Walk: Melbourne Pool and Hall

We did this walk in Melbourne for the first time because it was close to home and in our Derbyshire Walks with Children book.  It's since become a standard one we do with guests.  Partly because of that, it's not been on the "I should write a blog post" list.  On looking at the photos from different times we did the walk, it's a fun way to reflect on how much the girls have grown during our stay. 

Our first walk in March 2014 (we drove to the Library because walking from home was too much to handle)

What the walk became - all the way from home with girls able to handle it

Satellite view of the walk

George Street - we walked (and ran) this stretch many, many times

Dunnicliffe Lane - these front gardens of these houses were always fun to walk past

Or, in the girls' case, to run past

Main Street in Melbourne

This road gets you from Main Street to the parish church and then out of town.  It's also one of the many Melbourne gauntlets that I feared to drive.

2014 - Clare is in a backpack when we walk past the parish church and head out of town

This wall around part of Lord Melbourne's estate is one of the older structures in the town

2015 - Clare has walked from home past the parish church on her own

2014 - that little girl holding Kristine's hand is Charis

Unwritten: Because the sheep will get away

Clare was tired (so rode on my shoulders) and hungry (so mistook my head for a snack)

We were excited to see sheep when we did the walk in 2014. They were not excited to see us.  We stopped being excited to see them on subsequent walks.

Melbourne Hall

2014 - Charis entertained me on this walk by singing the third of the "United Breaks Guitars" songs

Looking away from Melbourne towards Breedon

2014 - Elise walks ahead of the rest of us on her own

2015 - Elise has company when walking ahead of the rest of us

We joked many times about not falling over the dam, but we still let the girls climb the wall

Looking across the pool (it's NOT a pond, Shawn) toward the parish church

Pause to look for ducks and swans

In which the ducks hope to get bread from the girls before the swans arrive

Only to be evicted by the hungry swan

Melbourne Hall again

In case you're wondering which came first

The Great (for balancing) Wall of Melbourne

Front view of the parish church, which dates to the Norman days and is not quite large enough to be a cathedral

Note who is not being carried

These buildings get a photo because of the thatch roofs

George Street again

One final hill before home

We think the hound was friendly, but we never tried hard to find out

And that's the walk

Family Walk: Melbourne countryside (of mud and brussel sprouts)

Melbourne parish church, seen from across the Pool (it's not a pond)

Our Saturday afternoon had a rare combination of factors: everyone was rested, everyone was happy, the weather was pleasant, and we had nothing planned.  As a result, we took a walk I've wanted to do for a while.  The route is out of a little book called Walks around Melbourne that I picked up in the village.

Here's the route from Runkeeper.  3.1 miles, 1 hr 21 min.  Completed with no piggyback rides and only minimal cajoling.

Kristine wisely had the girls put their Wellies on.  Despite several days without rain in the preceding week, the paths were reasonably muddy.  The Wellies gave the girls freedom to splash, squish, and twist to their hearts' delight.

Our walks through Melbourne usually go past terraced houses and businesses.  This took us through a residential area.

One of the doors to the Parish Church.  We had some difficulty getting everyone looking at the phone.

The Pool (not pond) is a favorite stop of ours if we have bread for the ducks and swans, which we didn't this time.  Elise decided it would be fun to walk along "The Great Wall of Melbourne."

She also decided she wanted to go in front.

Photo op by the Pool.  Still having trouble getting everyone looking at the phone.

We were either enjoying the mud or appreciating the view across the Pool.

Lots more mud on this path through the Pool Farm.  Crops are ??

Brussel sprouts.  Grown because everyone eats them even nobody I know admits to liking them.

More brussel sprouts.

Short jaunt on the road between Pool Farm and the footpath at Woodhouse Nurseries.  Unlike the parents, the girls thought walking on grass beside a busy road was lots of fun.

On a footpath again.  With lots of mud that put the Wellies to good use.

One more footpath - with bright sun that allows a photo of shadows.

We're at almost 3 miles of walking here.  Clare is starting to flag (hence holding Kristine's hand).

Through the last residential stretch before our house.  Fortification with cookies has provided energy for the last couple of blocks.

One more stop in a puddle.  Fortunately the car didn't get splashed (the owners are friends of mine from the brass band).

Our weekend routine has stabilized enough this school year that we can start thinking about activities like this one.  Completing a 3 mile hike as a family opens up lots of options.  We shall see how many we take advantage of.